[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 10 (Tuesday, January 25, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E112-E113]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF MICHELE JACKSON

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, January 25, 2011

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor Michele Jackson, Executive 
Director of Shelter Network for the last 10 years. Michele is a true 
professional and has been an exceptional leader of this wonderful 
agency. Shelter Network, a godsend to our country, has helped thousands 
of homeless families and individuals in San Mateo County find homes and 
become self-sufficient since 1987.

[[Page E113]]

  As a member of the advisory board I have witnessed how Michele and 
Shelter Network have turned lives around and reintegrated homeless 
families into our community.
  She initiated the designing, opening and maintaining of shelters that 
meet the needs of homeless families. In 2000, she oversaw the 
rebuilding and reopening of Haven Family House in Menlo Park. She led 
campaigns to rebuild First Step for Families in San Mateo in 2004 and 
to renovate Redwood Family House in Redwood City in 2006.
  Michele has turned Shelter Network into a model organization for our 
community, our county and the world. Under her guidance, services for 
homeless families and individuals have expanded and new ones created, 
among them the Motel Voucher and Homeless Outreach programs, The 
Vendome which houses chronically homeless adults, rapid re-housing and 
prevention initiatives like Housing First and HPRP, mental health 
services for children and the Shelter Network's Alumni Association.
  In addition to running Shelter Network, Michele has dedicated her 
time and energy to volunteer for many worthy causes. She is a board 
member of HEART, the Housing Endowment and Regional Trust, and of Local 
Emergency Food and Shelter FEMA/EHAP. Michele is the Chair of the 
Executive Committee for the San Mateo County Continuum of Care, a 
member of the Interagency Council for HOPE: San Mateo County's 10-Year 
Plan to End Homelessness. She also is a member of CHRAC, the Community 
Health Reform Advocacy Committee, and San Mateo County's Housing 
Operations and Policy Committee. Michele serves as the secretary and 
board member of Riley's Place, a non-profit organization dedicated to 
enrich the lives of low-income or chronically ill children through 
interaction with animals.
  Michele's altruism and dedication to those in need have earned her 
many friends and fans--including myself--and well deserved awards. In 
2003, she received the Heart of Social Work Award from the National 
Council on Social Work Education for excellence in field instruction. 
In 2010, she was presented with the Housing Leadership Day Award by San 
Mateo County's Housing Leadership Council.
  Michele earned both her Bachelor and Masters of Social Work from San 
Francisco State University.
  She lives in Belmont with her husband Bill Jackson. I have no doubt 
she will stay engaged in the community during her retirement and find 
more time to enjoy her family, ride her horse Tywy, spend time with her 
new puppy, travel and read.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to join me in honoring Michele Jackson 
for her decade as Executive Director of Shelter Network and for her 
three decades in social work on this day of her retirement, January 26, 
2011.

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